You’re putting in the miles. You’re watching your nutrition. You’re getting your rest. But here’s the problem: you’re still hitting the same frustrating plateau on climbs, and your sprints aren’t getting any faster. The truth nobody wants to hear is that more time in the saddle won’t fix what’s actually holding you back.

Most cyclists think endurance is the only thing that matters, but there’s a massive blind spot in that approach. While your quads and calves are getting stronger with every ride, other critical muscles are quietly falling behind. Your core, your glutes, your stabilizing muscles—they’re not getting the work they need from pedaling alone. And when you finally need those muscles to fire during a hard climb or an all-out sprint, they can’t deliver. Your body starts compensating in ways that waste energy and kill your speed.

Here’s what’s actually happening. When your supporting muscles can’t hold up under pressure, you start fighting against your own movement patterns instead of driving efficiently through the pedals. Your upper body sways, your hips shift, and all that wasted motion bleeds power that should be going into forward momentum. But when you build strength in these overlooked areas, everything changes. Stronger glutes give you more power with every pedal stroke. A solid core keeps you stable and efficient. That stability translates directly into speed because you’re not hemorrhaging energy through unnecessary movement anymore.

So when should you start building this strength? Winter is your golden opportunity. With fewer races on the calendar and lower training volume overall, your body can handle the added stress of lifting without compromising your cycling performance. Start with two or three gym sessions each week, spacing them at least two days apart. This gives your muscles time to recover while still providing enough stimulus to trigger real adaptations. As the race season gets closer, you’ll dial it back to one or two maintenance sessions to preserve your gains without piling on fatigue that could hurt your riding.

Your workout style needs to shift throughout the year, too. Early in the off-season, focus on higher reps with moderate weights to build muscular endurance. Later, when you’re maintaining strength during competition periods, fewer reps with heavier weights keep you strong without leaving you too tired for hard rides.

Now let’s talk about the exercises that actually move the needle. Not all gym work delivers equal benefits for cyclists. You want compound movements that engage multiple muscle groups at once because they mirror how your body actually works on the bike. Squats target your quads, glutes, and core for explosive climbing strength. Deadlifts develop your hamstrings and lower back to stabilize your position. Lunges fix strength imbalances between your left and right legs, and step-ups replicate the climbing motion while building hip stability.

For creating rock-solid support, planks build the trunk stability you need for efficient power transfer. Single-leg deadlifts challenge your balance and strengthen your posterior chain. Rows and pull-ups prevent that hunched posture that develops from hours in the drops, and glute bridges wake up hip muscles that cycling alone doesn’t fully activate. Skip isolation exercises like leg extensions—a goblet squat works your entire lower body in a functional pattern that actually helps your riding, whereas machines that target single muscles don’t translate well to real-world performance.

Here’s where most people go wrong. Jumping straight into heavy weights is asking for injury. Master bodyweight movements first to establish proper form and identify any mobility issues before you add resistance. Begin with two or three sets of eight to twelve reps per exercise. Quality matters way more than quantity at this stage, so focus on controlled movement rather than chasing heavy loads. Once your technique is solid, progress by adding weight, extra sets, or more challenging variations instead of just grinding out more reps.

Your rest periods matter too. During endurance-focused blocks, take sixty to ninety seconds between sets. When you’re working with heavier weights, extend that to two or three minutes so you can maintain quality on every rep. This keeps workouts efficient without rushing through exercises and compromising form.

The biggest mistake cyclists make is bringing that interval training mindset into the weight room. Pushing through compromised form might feel productive, but it only sets you up for injury without triggering the adaptations you’re actually after. Another problem is doing too much. Cyclists are used to high training volumes, but combining heavy cycling loads with excessive gym work exceeds what your body can recover from. The result is persistent fatigue, declining performance, or injuries that derail your entire season.

Tight muscles limit your progress, too. When your hip flexors, hamstrings, or ankles lack mobility, you can’t achieve a full range of motion during squats and deadlifts. That restriction prevents complete muscle activation and forces compensations that make exercises less effective. And here’s the kicker—many riders only train the muscles they already use on the bike, which just reinforces existing weaknesses instead of fixing them. A balanced program addresses your posterior chain, core, and upper body, even when these areas don’t seem directly connected to pedaling power.

The good news is you don’t need fancy equipment or expensive gym memberships. Bodyweight exercises, dumbbells, or kettlebells work perfectly well for most movements and fit easily into home training spaces. Start with one or two weekly sessions to see how strength work affects your riding and recovery. Pay attention to your sleep quality, appetite, mood, and performance both in the gym and on the bike. When these markers start declining, that’s your signal to pull back before fatigue accumulates and undermines your progress. Click the link in the description for more detailed guidance on balancing strength work with your riding.